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A few years back, my nephew, Austin, and his wife, Annie, sent a graduation card with personal advice for my oldest son. “What a great idea!” I thought, putting it on my mind’s back burner with a plan to write my version. This year, I had several family members and students graduate. As I wrote out cards, there was so much more I wanted to say. So here goes! My list of the top 10 things that every high school or college graduate should know as they leave school and embark on their future.
1. For better or for worse, life is not like high school.
At this point, whether you loved or hated high school doesn’t matter. Once you graduate, a whole new and different world opens up. Those continuing their education can now choose what to learn and where to learn it. Others heading straight into the workforce decide where to work, what hours to work, and what career path to follow. No longer will you have a bell ringing every hour to tell you where to go and what to do. Friendships develop based on common interests rather than popularity or status. Multi-aged co-workers add maturity and diversity to the day-to-day operations.
What you do with this new freedom is up to you. Be curious, savor the choices, and seize the opportunities. Get involved with like-minded people and fill your time with productive activities that bring you enjoyment.
2. It’s okay to be cautious, but don’t let fear stop you from living and experiencing life.
When the world opens up, some people become paralyzed with fear. There are too many choices and too many opportunities for failure. But as Christians, we don’t have to be afraid of our future. God’s word encourages us. It says, “Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you” (Deuteronomy 31:8 NLT). We are not alone in this walk through life. We have Jesus, who understands what it feels like to live in a human body. And we have the Holy Spirit who guides, directs, and never leaves us alone.
3. Pursue your God-given interests and see where they lead you.
Not all of us know what we want to be when we “grow up”. And that’s ok! We hear pastors say, “God has a plan for your life”. This is true. “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago” (Ephesians 2:10 NLT). 
But rarely is that plan made known to us all at once in a miraculous fashion. Instead, it is revealed to us little by little as we shuffle forward. Pray about your decisions and keep moving. It is easier to direct an object that is already in motion than one that is standing still.
4. Be teachable.
You will never know it all. Don’t act as if you do. “Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much” (1 Corinthians 8:2 NLT).
Instead, learn how to seek and uncover the information you need. Read a book, watch a video, search the Internet, ask at church, phone a friend, or find a mentor. Don’t be embarrassed to request help from others and from God. James 1:5-6 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.”
5. Admit your mistakes.
No one likes to admit to messing up but when errors are covered over, it is more difficult to correct them later. If they are left too long, they have a way of spiraling out of control. Instead, it is better to come clean when you realize that you did something wrong, and consider it an opportunity to learn something new. Often problems found quickly are solved just as quickly by someone with more experience or expertise. In 14 years in the sales business, there was never a blunder that I couldn’t fix if I knew about it soon enough. What my coworkers thought was a terrible error, was often a simple miscalculation. So, if you make a mistake, own up to it and help sort it out. If you make a mistake or sin against God, ask Him to forgive you. He promises that He will (1 John 1:9).
6. Surround yourself with people who love you and love the LORD.
The Bible says that bad company corrupts good character because it does (1 Corinthians 15:33). However, when your best friends love the LORD, they will encourage you in good works and pray for you without ceasing ((Hebrews 10:24; Thessalonians 5:17). They will give the right kind of advice without ulterior motives.
7. Work hard while remembering that work-life balance is important.
We were created to work. At the very beginning of the world, God made the garden of Eden where He put Adam to “tend and watch over it” (Genesis 2:15). Next, God gave Adam the task of naming the animals (Genesis 2:19-20). Finally, God presented Eve as a much-needed companion and co-worker (Genesis 2:18). At its origin, work was “good”, and it still is (Genesis 1:31). But ever since sin entered the world, our work-life balance has been out of kilter. The pendulum swings one way toward the workaholic, then swings the other to the lazy man. Neither is good for us. Thankfully, God left an example by incorporating both. He created the world in six days, but then on the seventh day, He rested.
We find fulfillment in work. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ” (Colossians 3:23-24 NLT). But rest is also a gift from God. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones” (Psalm 127:2 NLT). Try to find balance in all that you do. (Read more about work-life balance here.)
8. Be kind and generous.
It’s the right thing to do. “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).
9. Remember the practical.
Know how to shop for and prepare food that tastes good and is good for you. Find a system of organization that works for you. Pay bills on time. Make and keep appointments. Clean up after yourself. If you are not sure how to implement these everyday tasks, find yourself a mentor who can help. (See number 4: Be teachable.)
Dave Ramsey’s Complete Guide to Money: The Handbook of Financial Peace University
10. Continue to take the next steps.
Congratulations on your graduation! You have reached an important milestone in your life, but don’t stop here. Be proud of your accomplishments while recognizing that there’s a wonderful world waiting just outside those classroom walls. I encourage you to stride toward an exciting future, today.
In conclusion: Thank you Austin and Annie for inspiring me. What do you think? Leave a comment below.
